Dubai Festival City Mall to inaugurate all-new Festival Square

Dubai Festival City Mall is all set to unveil an all-new Festival Square – the mall’s main atrium space – on May 14. The event will coincide with the opening of around 25 new retail stores as the mall’s offering is gradually enhanced under its ong oing AED 1.2 billion expansion programme, includes the creation of a bigger and fully redesigned Festival Square, the mall’s epicenter which will extend out right to the waterfront for what promises to be a unique town square experience.

“The expansion programme will deliver an increased functionality in the retail layout and circulation within the mall by positioning the right retailers at the right locations. It will also create more gross leasable area,  enhance the mall’s F&B offering and maximise its unique waterfront location,” observes Chris O’Donnell, group director, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate.

“The radical transformation of the mall will expand possibilities for our consumers and tenants through a series of tangible benefits that will include a significant boost in footfall, enhanced visitor flow, increased visibility and accessibility across all levels and more cross selling opportunities between retail categories,” adds O’Donnell.

The new shops to start trading on May 14 include Omega, Koraba, Damas, Victoria’s Secrets Beauty & Accessories, Jo Malone, Pink, Kiehl’s Reiss, Starbucks, Teavana, Banana Republic, Lacoste, Kazar, DKNY Women, Brooks Brothers, L.K. Bennett, Marella, Molton Brown, L’Ocittane, Make Up For Ever, MAC, Troll Beads, Police, Fleur D’amour and Toscow.

“Many regional and international retailers have bought into our plans and have committed a growing number of stores to Dubai Festival City Mall as they are aspiring to expand their critical mass alongside our unique waterfront location on the banks of Dubai’s historic Creek,” shares Brad Merchant, general manager of the mall.

“Amongst them we will welcome four stores during summer – Massimo Dutti, Dani by Dani K, Kate Spade and Paul; soon after we will see the addition of Sandro, Maje, DVF, Mint Velvet and Zadig & Voltaire. That aside around 65 more stores will open by Q4 2015, to join our existing stable of iconic brands retailing out of the mall, including Dubai’s only Ikea store.”

Dubai Festival City Mall’s expansion programme’s next steps include redesigning and landscaping of an all-new waterfront promenade and the launch of a new food court spanning approximately 37,675 sqft that will offer a selection of 24 casual restaurants with a combined capacity of over 2,000 seats, in addition to featuring Dubai’s only free supervised play area for children. The expansion programme, once completed in the second half of next year, will include a total of 420 stores and many more enhancements.

RetailME Bureau